Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.
A/n1: *stares at review-counter intensively* Oh god, IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN (0_0);;;
A/n2: I'm a little bit concerned about managing to decently finish this story before going back to school. You see, my school starts in September, and since I'm probably going to follow a shortened program (because I already have some sort of degree), things will get very busy if I want to graduate within two, three years.
Which means that I won't have that much time to write – and I'm not planning to sacrifice my studies to my fanfiction stories.
So yeah… I hope I'll be able to end this story before my school starts. Better wish me luck!
A/n3: Confession: I've got a not-so-secret crush on nightgownwithlongsleeves!Antonio. Indeed, all the rumors you have heard are true. XDDDDDDDD
It's just, you know, he's very cutesy and silly and adorable when he's wearing that thing! I looooove the fanart, too. But the best part of it is that he's still ridiculously sexy underneath all that cuteness. That's why I like to write horny!Antonio while he's wearing that nightgown thing. I like to show just how badass seductive he still is, even while wearing something like that.
Should I be worried? XDDDDDDDD Better not answer that!~
Anyway, even though I think he's sexy while wearing that nightgown thing, Lovi actually doesn't like it at all. He thinks it's an oversized dress. Which only makes it funnier for me to write him getting aroused by Antonio's antics anyway, to his own surprise and confusion. Durrhuhuhuhuh…
~~ And Three Makes Five ~~
Chapter 52:
Recommend virtue to your children – it alone, not money, can make them happy.
Ludwig van Beethoven
(German composer and pianist)
I waited until Dr. Hernández had left (that oblivious weirdo didn't need to observe everything), and then I told Antonio everything I knew so far.
I told him about Germany, and how completely drained-out he had looked when he had spoken to me. I told him about the letter Feliciano had left for Germany and about how tattered and read-apart it had looked. I told him about Feliciano's horrible handwriting and the not-so-very-hidden message he had left for me (since it had been pretty clear the last sentence on the bottom of the letter had been for me, since it started with "fratello" and such).
And, naturally, I told Antonio where my stupid little brother would most-likely be hiding slash waiting for me.
I snorted mockingly. 'Feliciano actually tried to make it look like a detective-esk task for me – how about that? He told me he's hiding in the city where the world's greatest lover was born. Easy as pie. I mean, even you would know who the world's greatest lover was, right?'
Antonio gave me a blank look.
…
'Giacomo Girolamo Casanova!' I explained. 'Casanova, Antonio! Only one of the most famed womanizers of his time! Don't tell me you've never heard of him.'
'Ohh, Casanova!' Antonio said. 'Oh yes, of course I've heard of him. Did you know him very well?'
I frowned and shook my head. 'Not really – he was born in Venice, so Feliciano knew him much better than I did.'
'Venice? Casanova was born in Venice?'
'Yes.'
'So Feli is staying somewhere in Venice?' Antonio laughed a bit, amazed. 'What a coincidence, we intended to go to Venice as well!'
I facepalmed – I just had to, he was too much.
'Antonio.'
'Yes?'
'I love you very much and I think your lack of common knowledge sometimes is charming, really – but come on, think about it. My brother's full nation name is Veneciano Italy. Veneciano, Antonio. Venice. An Italian city, located far up in the north.'
'So it actually isn't a coincidence at all he's in Venice, you mean?'
'Exactly. He even has a House there. It's his birthplace, after all. A birthplace that's very beautiful and great, and that I should visit more often, dammit. It's cloak-full of Italian history. Did you for example know that Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice as well? That man was a great composer!'
'Well, I know nothing about composers and the like, but if he carried the same human name as I do, he must have been a very wonderful man indeed.' Antonio grinned stupidly.
…
Hm.
A very expected reaction, coming from a man who happened to feel ill and who wasn't interested in art whatsoever, so I wasn't even mad when he made such a dorky comment – it was just Antonio, being Antonio. Which was okay.
So I let it slip and I let out a puff of air, getting up from my seat.
'I think I'll go inform the kids about this. I need to depart as soon as possible, I guess. I hate to leave you all, but I don't really have a choice, do I?'
Antonio looked at me. He wanted to say something and opened his mouth, but then he closed it again and thought about, well, something. Finally, he locked his eyes with mine once again and started over.
'I wish I could come with you – I wish we could all come with you.'
'I know,' I smiled, 'but you and Matteo are sick, and man, it's damn annoying to travel around with sick people.'
Antonio raised an eyebrow teasingly. 'Wow, that's actually pretty harsh.'
'I am harsh and you better respect that. Also, you know I'm not serious, so shush.' I snorted and put my hands on my hips. 'However, it's not like I can't go on without you guys by my side every single second. Sure, it'll be weird, but I'll manage.'
'Won't you miss us?'
And then my heart clenched – nice, way to go, Antonio.
'No,' I lied. 'Shut up.'
Antonio ignored that last bit and smiled kindly. 'We will miss you, you know.'
I glared at him. 'I said shut up – look, I'm not going to be apart from you for fucking months or even weeks, just a few days!'
'Is…' Antonio hesitated again, and thought about something – maybe that same something? – again, but now, he didn't finish what he wanted to say and shook his head. 'No – never mind.'
I blinked and waited for a few seconds, but when the awkward, weird silence wasn't broken, I cleared my throat.
'Well. I'll go to the kids. I see you later.'
'Sure,' Antonio smiled again, like he actually meant it.
I really wanted to discuss that shady behavior of his a bit better – like, why didn't he just tell me what he wanted to say – but I thought I had wasted my time enough already by all this idle chatter and therefore left the room.
\0o0/
Telling the kids I was going to be away for a couple of days turned out to be less difficult than I had thought, but that probably was because I tried to be as clear as I could when I told them I was going to visit their uncle Feli in Venice – and that Papa Toni was going to stay here with them and uncle Potatoman for the time being helped a lot, too.
'I think I'll be back within a week,' I told the kids when I visited their bedroom again (I guess it was Bedroom Monday today), 'maybe I'll be back even sooner. You promise me to behave until I come back?'
'Yea,' Matteo, Alejo and Luisa automatically responded.
'And be kind to your papa and uncle, okay? Don't cause too many problems. Help them out a little bit when you can, because you know Papa Toni is feeling sick right now.'
'Yea.'
'Which reminds me, Matteo – you don't have to do anything, really, but rest. And eat your popsicles. And share some with your father every now and then. He gets whiny otherwise.'
'Yah!' Matteo grinned.
'Good. Now, let's see…' I frowned and thoughtfully scratched my nose. 'Was that all I needed to say to you… well, I think it was.'
'Papa,' Alejo then started, wrinkling his forehead and now actually looking a lot like me (which kind of startled me), 'you better watch out, okay? Don't do dangerous stuff!'
'And call when you're with uncle Feli!' Luisa demanded.
'Alright,' I promised.
'And, and! Don't talk to strangers!'
'And don't eat weird stuff!'
'And watch the street before you cross it!'
'And don't be mean!'
'And don't get lost!'
…
Heh. I flashed them a forced smile.
'I won't, I won't, I will, I'll try and I fucking won't – for Pete's sake, you twerps, I'm a grown man! Don't act like I'm a little kid, dammit!'
I mean, come on, I felt kind of ridiculed – and the fact that I heard Germany snicker in the back of the room didn't make things any better either!
'But you're clumsy,' Alejo pointed out, 'and you do lots of things that are dumb.'
'Why thank you, you little…'
'Here! Take this, papa!' Luisa stumbled over to me and fumbled a little with something around her neck, before handing over that same something to me. It turned out to be her necklace, or dog tag, or whatever the fuck the official name of that silvery thing was.
I stared at it. 'What should I…'
'Wear it,' Luisa commanded sternly. 'That way, people can bring you back if you get lost.'
'Liek a kitteh!' Matteo mentioned – but his weird habit of saying silly things actually made a bit sense this time.
'I don't need a damn…' I muttered, but stopped my nagging when I noticed the worried frowns on Alejo's, Matteo's and Luisa's faces.
…
…
'Okay,' I sighed, putting the necklace on, 'I get it, I get it – I'll wear your necklace. I mean – I'll look after it. Thanks, Luisa.'
'Break it and I will punch you,' the small brunette contently said – which probably meant something like "you're welcome, papa, I just care about you very much" in Luisa-language.
'And I like you, too!' I therefore grinned, and grinned even more when the small girl's face turned beet-red.
'So anyway,' Germany asked as I put the dog tag underneath my shirt, 'when are you planning to leave, Romano?'
I glanced over at him and realized his words were probably Germany-language for "why the hell are you still here, go look for my moronic lover already" – so I swiftly got up and reassured him I was planning to leave as soon as possible.
'I just need to get dressed real quick, then I'll make some breakfast and then I'll take the car.'
Germany looked troubled. 'So you're not going to take a plane.'
'No. I like driving.'
'Don't you think… it will take you way too long before you get in Venice like that?'
'Hell no – you're talking to one of the most skilled drivers of Europe, tough guy!' I pointed out huffily. 'I can get in Venice faster than you can say "should have taken a plane"! Believe me, you'd be amazed how fast I can end up in fucking Russia while driving. It's almost fictionally fast.'
'I think you should have taken a plane,' Germany mumbled. 'Oh look, you're still here.'
…
…
'Yeah, whatever.' I gave him an annoyed look and cracked my neck – it was acting up after all this hectic shit so early in the morning, dammit. 'Anyway, I'm going to prepare myself. Just so you know.'
I didn't wait for a response from the Germanic blond bear – it probably would only be something depressing and sad anyway – I just walked off and hereby forced him to just fucking accept what I was planning to do.
\0o0/
When I had prepared myself properly, by getting myself dressed, packing some shit, taking some drinks and food with me and even finding those bad-ass sunglasses I had bought a couple of months ago, I was ready to leave and went to the hallway.
…and Antonio and the kids were actually waiting for me there, to, as a bubbly Matteo told me, 'sway goodbye'.
Well, I had to admit it was a pretty cute sight: Antonio – wearing that awful oversized PJ's with the long sleeves anyway, that fashion-oblivious bastard – carrying Matteo and holding Alejo's hand, while Luisa stood in front of them with her arms and eyebrows crossed.
Okay, her eyebrows weren't exactly crossed, but you know what I mean, right?
'Aww, so you're all coming here to say goodbye?' I smirked, a bit touched as I put down my retro and therefore super-hot weekend bag on the floor for a second.
Antonio snorted. 'Well, we had to. When you left our bedroom a little while ago, I was like "is he seriously not even going to give me a decent goodbye?" and it looks like I was right.'
I felt cornered by his judgmental (but true) statement and blushed. 'H-hey, you know I'm no good with goodbyes! I don't like all those emotions and stuff. Besides, you always make such a scene, dammit… as if I'm planning to travel around the goddamn world instead of a simple trip up and back to Venice.'
'Sweetie, even if you do as much as hop over to the grocery store further up ahead to fetch us some fruit – I always want to see you off with a good, nice feeling.' He smiled. 'Is anything wrong with that?'
'N-no.' I looked away and smiled as well. 'O-okay, I must say that it's pretty nice that the four of you are here to see me off. Mind you, I still think you're overdramatizing this, but… thanks.'
Antonio seemed satisfied and nodded. 'You're very welcome, my love. Now kiss your kids goodbye.'
'Eww,' Alejo grossed out – but instantly came over to me anyway, his lips comically pursed.
I stared at him and I swear to God, even though I knew it was my own kid and that there was nothing wrong with giving your kid a peck on the lips, I felt kind of uncomfortable anyway. I mean, I don't kiss anybody – except for Antonio, and, in some cases, Feliciano.
But Alejo was pursing his lips so very tightly I was scared he might was giving himself, I don't know, lip-cramps or anything if he didn't cut that out, so I hastily crouched down and gave him a kiss anyway.
And I don't know what I expected, really, but it wasn't weird at all and Alejo just grinned at me toothily as he rubbed his mouth.
'Kissing's gross,' he decidedly said. 'Especially kissing girls. Yuck.'
'Ain't that the truth,' I said and heard Antonio snicker.
While Alejo went to curiously wander around by travel bag ('Watcha taking with you?'), Antonio, Luisa and Matteo came over to properly say goodbye as well.
Matteo was very enthusiastic about my leaving, really – he grabbed my face and started rambling about all the ice he was going to eat when I was gone, paused when I quickly kissed him, and just… carried on where he had left afterwards. While wiping his mouth, of course.
Then Antonio put him on the ground mid-sentence (the confused look on Matteo's face was priceless) and lifted up a slightly struggling Luisa.
'Now now,' Antonio sternly said, 'your father's going on a trip for a couple of days and you told me yourself you're worried about him, so don't tell me you don't want to say goodbye.'
'I don't,' Luisa snarled, while kicking her short little legs, 'wanna kiss. It's icky, dammit!'
'That's okay – you don't have to,' I reassured her.
Luisa got quiet and gave me a very disappointed look.
I blinked sheepishly. Huh? Was she mad at me?
'Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to.' I therefore tried to explain – not too grumpily, of course. 'So… do you want a kiss?'
'Nooo. Meanie.' Luisa nagged, frowning heavily.
I turned to Antonio. 'The fuck, what did I do?'
Antonio gave me an amused smile. 'She's your daughter, after all – she probably does want to give you an icky goodbye kiss, but gets conflicted about it, since it doesn't really fit her character. You behaved like that as well when you were a kid, remember!~'
'You really sound like an old man when you talk like that, you know.'
'I am an old man.'
'At least you're a good-looking old man.'
'Oh Lovi, you little flirt, not in front of the kids.'
We exchanged stupid smiles and I wanted to comment on his hairline ('Are you getting bold yet, you old fart') when Luisa surprised me by suddenly – and aggressively – pecking my lips anyway.
'For luck,' she loudly snapped at me, 'cause you're a stupid dork!'
'Luisa,' Antonio sighed.
But Luisa had enough of him and she had enough of showing her nicer side, so she wiggled and trashed about in Antonio's arms just as long until he had to put her on the ground, to avoid accidentally dropping her. She ran off the moment her feet touched the ground – really, you should've seen her sprint.
'She's part Italian, alright,' I said, while Antonio groaned and placed his hands on his hips.
'She's a handful,' he replied. 'And difficult. She was very eager to see you off until a few minutes ago, and now she suddenly acts like a rebel again. She's not easy to understand…'
'I understand her,' I said, smiling. 'She's trying hard. She really is.'
'Yes…' Antonio sighed again. 'Yes, I think… I think I know what you mean.'
'It's not bad or wrong if you don't understand her.' I looked in the direction Luisa had disappeared. 'You… really, you don't need to understand her, Antonio. Just be there for her when she needs you. Support her.'
'That's all?' Antonio muttered.
'That's all,' I nodded.
'That sounds easy.'
'It's more difficult than you think.'
'I… well, I bet it is.'
'We can do it, though.'
'I know.'
'Okay.'
We didn't know what else to say, so it got quiet between us – the good, nice kind of quiet, the kind of quietness between lovers that always happened to come into existence when they were simply being in each other's presence.
Antonio's facial expression changed into a less worried one when he locked his eyes with mine again – and fuck, I don't know why, but it made me embarrassed and shy, so I instinctively looked away and internally hoped I wasn't turning as red as I thought I was.
'Lovi,' Antonio suddenly said, which made me jump a bit.
'Y-yes?'
'You know I'm not planning to let you go without giving you a proper goodbye kiss as well, don't you.'
'Yes.' I felt myself getting excited and happy – but I swallowed and looked over my shoulders. The kids (well, at least two of them) were watching us, seemingly blissfully unaware of the obvious tension between me and Antonio in the hall, although I could see on the look of Alejo's face that he probably knew what was going to come.
'Yer gonna smooch, aren't ya,' Alejo shivered, making a disgusted face.
I got even redder and wanted to protest, but there were only weird stuttering noises coming out of my mouth, while Antonio instantly nodded.
'Of course we're going to smooch!~'
'Eww,' Matteo said.
'Yuck,' Alejo loathed.
Antonio chuckled. 'Well, if you don't want to be part of your fathers romantic moment, you better get out of here as fast as you can, because boy am I going to smooch your Papa Lovi to bits.'
A small, electric spark shot over my spine as Antonio wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and leant his head on my shoulder.
'Gross,' Alejo stated once again, and grabbed Matteo's sleeve. 'I'm bored. Let's find Lulu and uncly Luddy, Teo.'
'Ahhight!' Teo grinned, and the both of them unceremoniously left the hallway.
'Such good kids,' Antonio mused, hugging me tightly and nuzzling my neck, 'maybe they'll eventually develop a sixth sense that tells them when you and I need to be… alone, if you know what I mean.'
I smirked. 'You bastard, even the goddamn wallpaper knows what you mean.'
'We have intelligent wallpaper? How nice.'
'Moron…' I muttered and looked down a bit, to see those ridiculously long sleeves whirled around me. 'Also, I'm going to cut this stupid nightgown you have to pieces one day.'
Antonio laughed a bit. 'Ah, but why? It's great to sleep in it!'
'You look like a fucking… floating white maiden of some sorts in it, dammit!'
'I can understand why you'd say "floating" and "white", but maiden, Lovino?' Antonio laughed some more and spun me around, so I was facing him. 'I haven't been a "maiden" for quite some years, now…'
'Can it,' I said, not really interested in his semi-sexual innuendo's right now since I needed to get going, 'just kiss me already – you know I don't have time for this.'
Antonio pouted.
'And don't twist your face like that! Idiot.'
'Ohh, you're cranky!' He smiled patiently and pulled me closer to his, till our hips collided. 'Ah, don't be mean, Lovi… not now.'
I realized I was being unreasonable and huffed, silently placing my slightly-shaking hands on his shoulders.
'S-sorry. I'm just… I just hope Feliciano's okay. And that it won't take too much time before I'll come back to… c-come back to...'
'Come back to us,' Antonio assisted me, petting my head. 'That would be nice, yes. But take all the time you need, sweetie. I understand, the kids understand… we all understand. Okay?'
'Yeah.'
'Great. Now…' Antonio leaned forward and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips, '…make sure you find that little runaway brother of yours and…' another soft kiss, '…bring him back here.'
'I-I will,' I mumbled, getting a better hold on him as my hands clenched his stupid, lame, ugly nightgown's fabric in-between my fingers.
'And,' Antonio continued as he traced his thumb over my lower lip, '…be safe, my love. Don't do anything reckless.'
'I won't – sheesh, why does everybody in this House think I'm a helpless fool!'
'I don't think you're a helpless fool – you're a very reliable man! But,' he snickered as I glared at him, 'you can act a bit foolish, every now and then.'
'Fuck you,' I said.
Antonio grinned broadly. 'Maybe we can do that later, yes! But let's limit ourselves to kissing now, okay?'
I sighed, but smiled. 'Alright. You want to kiss some more, then?'
'You shouldn't even be asking that.'
Antonio pulled me close again and our lips met – and our lips parted as well, right away, as if we had made an agreement on that earlier, and I can barely describe what I felt when our tongues tenderly caressed each other.
I liked deep kisses – kisses that almost made you drown in ecstasy and passion – but I also liked these kind of kisses – kisses that were pretty intense, since there was tongue and saliva involved, but that still kept you aware of everything around you.
Also, they were kind of dirty, in a sweet kind of way, and sweet, dirty kisses were the fucking best.
As we kissed, Antonio stroke the back of my head with one hand and plucked one of my hands off his shoulders to intertwine the fingers of his other hand with mine. It felt very nice and very safe, and I had to exhale a delighted sigh while kissing. Naturally, that made Antonio snort a little, which made me snort as well, so we ended up giggling like two fucking stupid teenagers.
'Right,' Antonio finally said with a big smile, once again rubbing my mouth dry and clean, 'you should leave now, Lovino. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back again.'
'You're right,' I nodded and reluctantly pulled away from him.
'Give us a call when you're there, will you?'
'Only if you and that happy-go-lucky son of yours go straight back to bed after this – don't think I've forgotten your condition, dammit.'
'Deal.' Antonio's eyes were a bit watery as he stroke my cheek one last time. 'Have… have a safe trip, my love.'
\0o0/
I had prepared myself pretty decently, if I might say so.
I had visited the gas station a few days earlier, I had packed my lunch, my bag and my other very important belongings (sun screen, random book about architecture I was reading the other day and, of course, clean shirts – never leave your home for a couple of days without clean fucking shirts), I had found and was currently even using my sunglasses and my hair looked pretty well-kept, for once – except for that weird curl-thing, but I guess I'll never figure out how to tame that strand of rebellious hair.
Also, my car had been washed and polished and was glittering in the bright summer sun of Spain, so if anybody out there was thinking there ever was a moment I could be more ready to go than I was right now, I'd say they were full of fucking bullshit because that would be impossible.
I stepped into my car, smiled when I enclosed my hands around the steer and popped in that one CD of Mika I liked listening to last year, just for the nostalgic feelings and shit. Then I started the engine and opened my window, to wave at Antonio, Germany and the kids, who were all standing outside to see me off.
'Baiiiiiiiiii Papa Loviiiiiiii!' Matteo shrieked, swinging his long-sleeved arms around passionately and smacking Germany, who was carrying him, in the face while doing so.
'Bye bye!' Alejo cried out as well and jumped up and down like the little sugar-filled creep he was.
'G'bye!' Luisa also managed to shout (once), and Antonio, who held her in his arms, praised her for her momentarily getting over her pride, by pecking her cheek.
Meanwhile, Germany didn't say that much at all – he just stood there and swayed his arm around like a robot would – but I guess the bastard couldn't really help it, so I decided not to think anything of it.
'Sweetie!' Antonio's voice then suddenly caught my attention, right before I wanted to put those impatient sounds and movements of my car to good use, and I looked up.
'I might have a surprise for you later!' Antonio grinned.
'A surprise?' I shouted – loud car-sounds, after all. 'What kind of surprise?'
'You'll find out later!~'
I stared at his giddy, happy face, spontaneously remembered his unusual behavior earlier that day and felt really relieved, for some reason.
'Okay!' I grinned back. 'I'll see you all later!'
And with that having said, I drove towards the road, honked a last time – because honking and annoying Peeping Rosita is a lot of fun – and then, I put the pedal to the motherfucking metal!
